Marginal indexing



J. J. HRBE'K.

MARGINAL INDEXING.

APPLICATION FILED oc. le, |9211l UNITED STATES PATNT FFICF..

JAN J. HRBEK, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

MARGINAL NDEXING.

To all ui/0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAN J. HRBEK, a citi- Zen ot the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county ot Linn and State ot' Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marginal lndexing; and I do hereby declare the Iollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to record books, more particularly books of account, of the loose-leaf type, and the object of the inven` tion is to provide such books with a novel index, so arranged that the subject matter may be found quickly, and in part mechanically, and that any and all of the record leaves may be turned upside down, for convenience in recording, without changing the inechanical arrangement of the index.

The nature of the invention is hilly disclosed in the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l represents an open book illustrating the lgeneral features of the invention. F ig. 2 shows enlarged the left margin ot a group of leaves making upa section of the book. Fig. 3 shows the same group, except the index sheet, jogged over so as to clearly disclose the notching oi' the leaves. Fig. a shows how a pair of leaves may be cut from a parent sheet, with very little waste of maferial.

In the drawing, the numeral l5 denotes the binder of a loose-learn book, the details of which form no part of this invention. The body oi' the book, 20, is made up of groups or sections, here shown alphabetically arranged, of which the J group shown in detail may be taken as representative. The leaves are all suitably punched at 25 so as to be quickly inserted or detached, in a manner too familiar to require description. Taking the J group as illustrative, it will be seen to be composed of fourteen sheets or leaves. One of these, the narrowest has a straight margin, and may be designated as the indexr leaf 30. It is suitably ruled for names, the ruling coinciding with the stepping of the other leaves, to be described presently. Just behind this leat, when in indexing position, is a series of record leaves, a, b, c, etc., stepped Serial No. 417,346.

symmetrically from the top and bottom inwardly by progressively narrowing recesses. ln practice the line of the recess coincides with the margin of the index leaf, as shown in F ig. 2, the stepped portions projecting so as to be easily and quickly caught by the thumb or finger placed adjacent to the selected naine. Just behind vthis series of re- Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patented June 28 1921 A Application iled October 16, V19212).

cessed leaves, the shortest recess of which j should be about thumb-nail width in. length, is another series ci? record leaves stepped from 'the middle endward and svnimetrically in progressively lengthening ulobes, as shown by the leaves g, it, z', etc. These lobes are preferably made longer than the depth of the recesses in the adjacent' leaves, so as to project outside them marginally, as shown. lf'lien assembled the steps of the lobed and recessed leaves coincide with each other, and with the ruling ot the index leaf. The last of the record leaves has a straight margin, and corresponds in width with the lobed leaves at their widest. is in the manipulation of the book this leall m is handled singly it is' preferably reinforced with cloth at 'a to rgive the requisitestrength and durability.

lhe book shown is ci" the left-hand type. which is the more convenient for a right; handed accountant, since he may hold the pen in one hand, and turn the leaves with the other. supposing the account sought is that ot' J. Janecek, the accountant places the end of his thumb on the middle lobe, opposite the naine, and opens the book directly to the desired account. ln the saine way, and with equal facility any name on the index page will lead to the proper account by its appropriate step.

in important advantage arising Jfrom the novel constructicn oi the stepped leaves is that any leaf may be turned 4upside down with no change in the indexing arrangement, and an account begun on one side or" the sheet may be continued on the other side, and still occupy the saine position in the book, the lett page in a lett-hand book, and vice versa.

lt will be evident that either the indented or the lobed leaves may be used independently of cach other, the indexing in such a case extending halt way up or down the page, and with the same advantage in the matter oi reversing the sheet as above noted. It is preferred, however to use both kinds oi stepped leaves, so that the indexing may extend from top to bottom, as illustrated and hereinbefore set forth. l j Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y,

' 1. In an index, a series of progressively stepped leaves, the steps of each leaf being similarlydisposed above and below the middle of the leaf margin, whereby the indexing is not Vaffectedby inverting the leaf.

2. In an index, a series of leaves cut at i the margins to produce stepped projections when vassemloled,'the steps of each sheet being the same above and below the middle thereof. j'

8. In an index, a group ofleaves comprising a series of leaves having projections at the marginl increasing in length progressively and uniformlyfrom each end toward the middle, and a series of leaves having projections increasing 'in length in the same manner from the middle toward each end.

l. In an index, a group of leaves compris- ,ing a series of leaves having marginal projections progressively and symmetrically Widening lengthwise of the sheet fromfeach end Vtoward the middle, and an adjacent se- Y steps.

ries of leaves having projections offset from those of the former series, and progressively and symmetrically Widening lengthwise of the sheets from the middle toward each end. .5, In an index, a series of leaves symmetrically stepped each Way from the middle, and an adjacent index leaf for names or data,.ruled to coincide With the adjacent steps. Y

6. VIn an index, a kseries of leaves-symmetrically stepped each Way from the middle, and an adjacent-narrower index leaf for names or data,ruled to coincide With said 7.V In an index-a series of leaves symmetrically stepped each yvay'from the middle, anadjatent index leaf for names or data coinciding-With said steps, and a plain leaf adjacent thelastA of the stepped leaves, With reinforced corners.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

JAN 1J. HRBEK.

Witnesses: Y

F. W. ARMSTRONG,

J. M. ST. JoHN. 

